They may have lost their faith in churches, governments and political parties,
but the British attachment to the idea of class is still a powerful feature
of national life, a survey shows.

Sixteen years after John Prescott – now Lord Prescott – declared “we are all middle class now”, research has found that most British people still like to think of themselves as “working class” – even if they are not.

The latest edition of the British Social Attitudes Survey found that, when pressed, six out of 10 people described themselves as working class, rather than middle class.

Only 34 per cent actively described themselves as “middle class”, a proportion unchanged in 30 years.

Yet, the report says, that the true picture could be the direct opposite.

It notes that when respondents were analysed based on their professional status, 59 per cent could be ranked “objectively” as middle class.